s
kind of curvature we had met with. Mpande accompanied us himself in his
own vessel, till we had an opportunity of purchasing a fine large canoe
elsewhere. We paid what was considered a large price for it: twelve
strings of blue cut glass neck beads, an equal number of large blue ones
of the size of marbles, and two yards of grey calico. Had the beads been
coarser, they would have been more valued, because such were in fashion.
Before concluding the bargain the owner said "his bowels yearned for his
canoe, and we must give a little more to stop their yearning." This was
irresistible. The trading party of Sequasha, which we now met, had
purchased ten large new canoes for six strings of cheap coarse white
beads each, or their equivalent, four yards of calico, and had bought for
the merest trifle ivory enough to load them all. They were driving a
trade in slaves also, which was something new in this part of Africa, and
likely soon to change the character of the inhabitants. These men had
been living in clover, and were uncommonly fat and plump. When sent to
trade, slaves wisely never stint themselves of beer or anything else,
which their master's goods can buy.

The temperature of the Zambesi had increased 10 degrees since August,
being now 80 degrees. The air was as high as 96 degrees after sunset;
and, the vicinity of the water being the coolest part, we usually made
our beds close by the river's brink, though there in danger of
crocodiles. Africa differs from India in the air always becoming cool
and refreshing long before the sun returns, and there can be no doubt
that we can in this country bear exposure to the sun, which would be
fatal in India. It is probably owing to the greater dryness of the
African atmosphere that sunstroke is so rarely met with. In twenty-two
years Dr. Livingstone never met or heard of a single case, though the
protective head-dresses of India are rarely seen.

When the water is nearly at its lowest, we occasionally meet with small
rapids which are probably not in existence during the rest of the year.
Having slept opposite the rivulet Bume, which comes from the south, we
passed the island of Nakansalo, and went down the rapids of the same name
on the 17th, and came on the morning of the 19th to the more serious ones
of Nakabele, at the entrance to Kariba. The Makololo guided the canoes
admirably through the opening in the dyke. When we entered the gorge we
came on upwards of th